Necticut



(NdModeL) v I G. W. H. HUG-HES & W. SMITH.

I FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

No.543-341. PatentedJu-ly 23,1895.

WZfWJJJ: 6% I UNITED STATES PATENT 7 OFFICE.

GEORGE W. H. HUGHES AND WILLIAM SMITH, OF NEW HAVEN, CON- NECTICUT; SAID SMITH ASSIGNOR TO SAID HUGHES.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,341, dated July 23, 1895. Application filed November 26,1894. serial No. 629,906- (No model) T at whom, it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. H.'HUGHES and WILLIAM SMITH, citizens of the United States, residing at New Havengin the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description ofthe invention, such as automatically or to be manually operated and it consists in the various parts and details and combinations of the same, as hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

The nature, scope, and general features of our invention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which- Figure I is a view of our invention ready for use. Fig. II shows the device in operation automatically. Fig. III is an enlarged detail view of the neck in cross-section, showing the arrangement of the sprayer, soldered nozzle, stopper, and screw-eye. Fig. IVis an enlarged detail view of the nozzle provided with holes in its flange and adapted to receive a cork or stopper. Fig. V is a detailed View of the stopper and screw-eye. Fig. VI is a detailed view of the sprinkler or sprayer disposed within the neck a of the tube or, shown also by a sectional view in Fig. III. Fig. VII is a detailed view of a steadying-bracket employed to prevent the tube from swinging or swaying when the device is in use on cars, sailing vessels, &c. Fig. VIII shows the cork or stopper as left suspended from the hook by the chain when the device is manually operated. Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the drawings.

a is a tube made preferably of metal, and

may be coated on the inside with tar or any into which is loosely fitted anozzle b, which is secured in place by solder or other fusible material.

b is a nozzle fitted into the upper end of the tube or neck a and soldered to the same at c, as shown in Fig. III.

d is a,flange formed on the nozzle '1) and provided with perforations e and e, as shown in Fig. IV.

fis a cork or stopper fitted within the nozzle b and provided with a screw-eye g and a short chain 71., having one end attached to the 'screw eye g and the other end to a hook j,

which is adapted to be made fast in a post, wall, or casement.

k is preferably another and longer chain having one end secured to the flange of the said neck by means of the perforation e and its other endmade fast to the lower end of.

the tube a by any suitable means, as staple m. The nozzle 1) is made in a separate piece and suitably fitted into the neck a. at c and secured to the same in the manner above described.

o is a sprayer, secured below the soldered joint 0 and within theneck a. We have constructed this sprayer preferably, as shown in Fig. VI, with a series of inclined radial arms, so disposed and arranged that-when in use they will causethe discharging liquid to separate and issue in divergent directions. At the bottom of the tubea is a steadying-bracket p, Whichis constructed preferably, as will be seen in Fig. VII, out of sheet metal and formed in a single piece with an upturned flange 19', provided with holes for screwing the same to the post or wall, and with lugs or arms q, q also formed on the edge and adapted to loosely inclose the bottom end of the tube a, and so disposed when put up as to allow sufficient space between the said bracket and the bottom of the tube that when the device is in operation the tube will fall far enough todisengage the nozzle b from the neck a. and by turning over without striking the disk or shelf of the bracket, the lugs or arms q q being insufficient of themselves to support the device Having described the construction of our invention, we will now proceed to explain its with both hands proceeds to throw the con-- tents thereof on to the fire.

We will now explain how the device works when operated automatically. Referring again toFig. I, it will be observed that the device when in its normal position and ready for use is suspended'from the hook by means of the flange of the nozzle, and it will also be seen that the long chain is isfast at its upper end to the said flange, but that its other end is attached to the bottom end of the tube a, as already described. Now in case of fire, when the neck of the tube has become sufficiently heated to melt the solder the nozzle, being otherwise loosely fitted into the neck, is free to be disengaged by the weight of the tube and contents hanging therefrom, and the said tube instantly drops, but in falling is suddenly arrested by means of thelong chain attached at its upper end to the flange d, which is still hanging upon the hook,'as shown in Fig. II; and it will further be seen by refence to Fig. II that the tube is now inverted and still suspended in such manner by the long chain as to readily and effectually discharge its contents through theopen neck, thereby extinguishing the fire. The space between the bottom of the tube and the disk of the steadying-bracket being greater than the slack of the chain the tube in falling is arrested by the chain before it can reach said disk and turn over, and in so turning over the bottom of the tube is thrown out of the bracket.

\Ve will now speak of the use of the sprayer 0 in connection with our device. It being arranged within the neck and constructed as hereinbefore described, the contents in being discharged through the same will issue in various directions, covering a great area of fire-surface.

It is obvious that many slight changes might be made in the construction, combination, and relative arrangement of the parts herein shown and described without departing in any way from the spirit and scope of our invention. For instance, instead of the use of the steadying-bracket to prevent the swaying motion, a short chain or a cord or other means might be substituted; but we have shown the above as the better construction. Again, instead of using. the long chain arranged and-adapted as herein. shown, the

tube might be otherwise connected with a permanent fixture suitably secured to the post or wall and so arranged that when the tube falls in case of fire the same would be allowed to drop sufficiently to disengage the neck from the nozzle and also to turn over and be maintained'in a hanging position and yet operate substantially in the manner herein shown. It will still further be seen that the sprayer herein shown might be dispensed with and the neck provided with spiral corrugations or other means to spray the contents whichwould only be an equivalent device. Again, other means of suspension than a hook and perforated flange might be substituted and accomplish the same results. It is obvious, also, that two or more of our improved fire-extinguishers might be coupled together and so constructed and arranged as to be operated simultaneously, or that the tube might be connected by a flexible pipe or other suitable means with a reservoir of fireextinguishing chemicals to increase its capacity. for extinguishing fires, or that still further changes or modifications could be made without departing from our invention.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fire extinguishing apparatus of the character herein described in combination with a tube adapted to contain chemicals and provided with means for suspending the same to a hook, a neck, provided with a nozzle secured thereto by means of fusible material substantially as described.

2. Ina fire extinguisher of the character herein described in combination with a tube adapted to contain chemicals a neck provided with asprayer disposed within the same said neck having a nozzle secured thereto by means of fusible solder substantially as described and set forth.

3. In a fire-extinguishing apparatus of the character herein described, in combination with a tube adapted to contain chemicals and formed with a neck, a nozzle secured to said neck by means of fusible material, said nozzle provided with a perforated flange, substantially as described.

4. In a fire-extinguisher of the character herein described, the combination with the tube thereof, of a nozzle secured to said tube by fusible material, and a chain also connecting said tube and nozzle, substantially as described.

5. In a fire-extinguisher of the character herein described,the combinationwith the tube thereof of a nozzle secured to said tube by means of fusible material, and a chain connected at one end with said nozzle, and at the other end with the lower end of the tube, substantially as described.

6. In a fire extinguisher of the character herein described, the combination with the tube thereof, of a nozzle secured to said tube by fusible material, a cork to closesaid nozzle, and a chain connecting said cork witha stationary fixture, substantially as described.

-7. In a fire-extinguisher of the character herein described, suspended from a single hook, the combination with the tube thereof of a nozzle secured to the said tube by fusible solder, said nozzle being directly connected with the hook when the device is suspended,

and a flexible connection between said nozzle and tube, whereby the several parts are so arranged andconnected that the device is suspended andautomatically operated from a single hook or point of suspension, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In a fire extinguisher in combination with a tube a neck provided with anozzle secured thereto by fusible solder a perforated flange on said neck and a chain secured at one end to said flange and at the other end to one side v of the tube substantially at its lower end, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In a fire extinguishing apparatus. sub-. stantially of the character herein described in combination with a-tube adapted to conforated flange for securing the same to the post, wall or casement &c. and a series of upturned arms for receiving the bottom of the tube containing the chemicals substantially as described.

In, testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

-GEORGE .W. H. HUGHES. -WILLIAM SMITH;

Witnesses:

GEORGE E. BURTON, ESTHER L. NORTH. 

